ELEX ELEX RELEASE THREAD

[Jinn]

No one should be zealously defending the combat in ELEX. I personally find it really fun, particularly how the RPG mechanics take a front seat to the action. No surprise here, seeing as I'm a huge fan of Gothic 1 and 2. But of course it has glaring flaws of which there is no denying. I'm able to excuse them because I still have a great time fighting in this game, and I understand that a lot of the work and (limited) resources PB put into this game went into other areas of design that I just tend to appreciate more. While there is more fluid action based RPG influenced combat out there, games can actually provide their own unique takes on this. Rather than constantly comparing ELEX's combat to the like of Dark Souls and Dragon's Dogma (both of which I've enjoyed a great deal myself), try to accept it's just not for you and it has a different appeal. If there are people spurging in defense of ELEX in this thread, I think it's only in response to the extreme denouncement of what is actually a really fun game over things like how the action plays out in combat. Both sides would do well to settle down and realize that people simply have varied tastes.

 

[Morkar Left]

Many many people have commented that the combat just feels bad. Here's why:

Big monsters need a lot faster attack animations. That was the case since G1.

Committing to and timing of your attack is a good thing in my book. In real life when you have committed yourself to an attack or parry you can't pull easily away from it as well. That's the whole point of feints and trapping your opponent into a move.

Dragons Dogma has an entirely different design philosophy in combat. In a lot of things it's better (jumping on enemies, multiple hitboxes, multiple attack patterns) but it took how long to make? 4 years? And how big was the development team? But Dragons Dogma is hack and slay combat while Elex focuses more on stats.

Both have good open world exploration but in Dragons Dogma combat comes first and the rpg comes second. Elex is the opposite in this regard. Both are good and miles ahead of Skyrim, Fallout 4, State of Decay, Assasins Creed and that Shadows of Mordor abominations combat to just name a few. The latter ones aren't even rpgs but full-fledged action games. Dark Souls combat may be better - I haven't played, but it's an action game as well which main motivation is the combat after all.

The bottom line is that Elex may not have perfect combat but there are a lot of shittier combat systems around, including pure action games.

 

[Blaine]

...I've been able to complete every quest I've received through directions in dialogue and general exploration, and I have indeed. That said, when I am playing this game, I am playing it like a classic PB game in that I explore every new area I enter fully to the best of my ability.

Agree - just explore.

Christ Almighty, I never thought of searching every inch of the gameworld until I happen to find my quest objectives! Thank goodness I've got the Codex on hand to dispense sage advice. I guess PB didn't design around the compass and markers after all!

Look, I know what you two are getting at, and I'm mostly just teasing you, but "You don't need in-depth directions, just search everywhere" is too hilarious to pass by without dispensing some sarcasm.

 

[Jinn]

Look, I know what you two are getting at, and I'm mainly teasing you, but "You don't need in-depth directions, just search everywhere" is too hilarious to pass by without dispensing some sarcasm.

I know that what I said looks like "just explore every inch of the map!" But what I really meant was that often times if I have a quest line hanging in the wind, another quest will lead me to the general vicinity of that objective, which will then be fairly easily discovered with a light general exploration of the area.

 

[Blaine]

All right, so, lessons learned about Elex within the past 48 hours:

• a hat costs 190 cigarettes
  
• the melee combat is fine, just get a gun
• everything one-hitting you is fine, just run away and do quests until you can equip that gun I mentioned
  
• the quest compass and markers aren't needed, just search everywhere
• that third-person action combat game you compared to Elex's third-person action combat is popamole Chinese cartoon garbage
• this is the best RPG of all time and if you disagree, you're garbage

I feel fully immersed in the true essence of Codexia right now.

 

[Darth Roxor]

and yet its still better than underrail

 

[Blaine]

This game has fast travel nodes every 50 yards, 9.5/10

I will pay for your plane ticket to come fite me IRL.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

For people complaining about my horriburu Nipponese example-- I just fired up Risen 1 for the first time in forever. That game has completely simple no-frills combat and it still feels more fluid, responsive, and fun than Elex.

Then they fucked it all up with Risen 2. WTF is Piranha Byte's deal? Did they fire the one guy who did the Risen combat? "Oh mein Gott! Don't you know our games are supposed to have shitty fighting? Scheisskopf!"

 

[Trias_Betrayed]

I finished my first play-through today at about 35 hours playtime. I enjoyed it for what it was, melee combat was not very great and I had to avoid most combat until I got a decent laser rifle. When I got a lot higher level and get plasma rifles with knockback I just started to shit on everything without much effort. Overall, I enjoyed the world, story, and to some degree the combat. I'll probably do another play-through trying to be as much of an Alb as possible but not yet. This play-through I went with the Clerics.

I do think it would've been nice if I could've played my character as a fully devout zealot but he never seems to buy into the cult no matter what options you choose as far as I can tell. Also not sure what would happen if you tried to kill key characters and if they can be killed or not.

 

[jungl]

tbh all there games had shitty combat besides gothic 2 and that is up to debate. The only thing differing their games in quality is how funny the voice acting is. The fake mumbo jumbo tribal people speak was more entertaining then TAKE THAT TO THE PIT or you think your invisible or something? So risen 2 was actually their best game.

 

[agentorange]

Quest direction is fine unless it requires you finding some small object. Really annoying in that case. There was some quest where I had to find a guy's journal in the Berserker hotel area and I went around for 20 minutes before just using the quest compass. I guess it's "realistic" but they could have simply designed quest objects in a way that they stand out from their surroundings (not even talking about item glow here, I dislike that, just give the give the objects a contrasting color or some defining detail). In Gothic 1 and 2 the relative detail of environments was low such that quest related objects tended to stand out, but with the modern graphics and detail in ELEX objects tend to get lost in the noise. Could even have the quest dialogue give more detailed directions, as was done in Morrowind.

As it is they definitely expect you to be using the magic compass. For example with this journal quest I mention, the only direction given is "he liked hanging out on the balcony," except there are many balconies for every hotel room in the place, they could have easily said something like "he liked hanging out on the LARGE balcony and I think I remember him always keeping some dumb journal," etc, not that hard.

 

[Metro]

tbh all there games had shitty combat besides gothic 2 and that is up to debate. The only thing differing their games in quality is how funny the voice acting is. The fake mumbo jumbo tribal people speak was more entertaining then TAKE THAT TO THE PIT or you think your invisible or something? So risen 2 was actually their best game.

G1 and Risen combat was solid.

 

[Jinn]

As it is they definitely expect you to be using the magic compass. For example with this journal quest I mention, the only direction given is "he liked hanging out on the balcony," except there are many balconies for every hotel room in the place, they could have easily said something like "he liked hanging out on the LARGE balcony and I think I remember him always keeping some dumb journal," etc, not that hard.

In this case, I found the journal after about 5 minutes of exploring the hotel. I don't see how this points to them expecting you to use the magic compass, particularly when quest compass is default off. You just have to explore the building and keep your eyes peeled for books. Even if it did take 20 minutes, you probably found a number of other items and interesting things in the hotel in the process of looking.

 

[tmux]

I guess it's "realistic" but they could have simply designed quest objects in a way that they stand out from their surroundings (not even talking about item glow here, I dislike that, just give the give the objects a contrasting color or some defining detail).

you think this is a technicolor cartoon, kid?

 

[Blaine]

In this case, I found the journal after about 5 minutes of exploring the hotel. I don't see how this points to them expecting you to use the magic compass, particularly when quest compass is default off.

What do you mean, "default off"? Are you trying to spin the need to select an active quest in the log before it activates as being "default off"?

"Default off" in my book would be something you have to turn on in the game options. That's a mighty thin hair you're splitting.

Anyway, I tend to explore the shit out of everything, too, and it's generally rewarded with some potion or pile of geegaws on a roof or ledge... but that's irrelevant.

 

[Elex]

dragon dogma: wolves hunt in packs
elex: cigarette looted in packs

 

[Blaine]

dark souls: hosts stabbed in backs

 

[Elex]

Quest direction is fine unless it requires you finding some small object. Really annoying in that case. There was some quest where I had to find a guy's journal in the Berserker hotel area and I went around for 20 minutes before just using the quest compass. I guess it's "realistic" but they could have simply designed quest objects in a way that they stand out from their surroundings (not even talking about item glow here, I dislike that, just give the give the objects a contrasting color or some defining detail). In Gothic 1 and 2 the relative detail of environments was low such that quest related objects tended to stand out, but with the modern graphics and detail in ELEX objects tend to get lost in the noise. Could even have the quest dialogue give more detailed directions, as was done in Morrowind.

As it is they definitely expect you to be using the magic compass. For example with this journal quest I mention, the only direction given is "he liked hanging out on the balcony," except there are many balconies for every hotel room in the place, they could have easily said something like "he liked hanging out on the LARGE balcony and I think I remember him always keeping some dumb journal," etc, not that hard.

i remember remove all grass from option for find lootable items.

 

[Jinn]

What do you mean, "default off"? Are you trying to spin the need to select an active quest in the log before it activates as being "default off"?

"Default off" in my book would be something you have to turn on in the game options. That's a mighty thin hair you're splitting.

Anyway, I tend to explore the shit out of everything, too, and it's generally rewarded with some potion or pile of geegaws on a roof or ledge... but that's irrelevant.

I mean that if you never hit z in your quest log, you would never see a quest marker in this game. For me, that's default off.

 

[Blaine]

What do you mean, "default off"? Are you trying to spin the need to select an active quest in the log before it activates as being "default off"?

"Default off" in my book would be something you have to turn on in the game options. That's a mighty thin hair you're splitting.

Anyway, I tend to explore the shit out of everything, too, and it's generally rewarded with some potion or pile of geegaws on a roof or ledge... but that's irrelevant.

I mean that if you never hit z in your quest log, you would never see a quest marker in this game. For me, that's default off.

The Democratic Party of the United States could really use you on staff right about now.

 

[Immortal]

Games designed around quest markers - rarely give proper clues or in-game references about where to go. The compass becomes a clutch in their designs. So to ignore it just means walking around like a tard for 3 hours.

Well I guess some people enjoy that.


Witcher 3 Seems like the inversion of that - where they gave you all the clues you need but then had to make everything Glow and Interactable.

"Hmm Blood.. Leads Over here.. An arm.. must be Drowners.. oh Grass that is burnt.. mmhmm"

 

[Blaine]

Yeah dude, that's the (semi-)new thing: Using magic vision to follow trails. It started with the Batman: Arkham series, I think.


In Batman, it's detective vision goggles.

In Deus Ex: HR/MD, it's augmented reality or whatever.

In Witcher 3, it's Witcher vision.

In Horizon: Zero Dawn, it's a futuristic HUD eyepiece.


"People" will defend this. What I find hilarious is that a lot of people think that a mechanic is justified if it's explained by the game lore.

 

[Fenix]

It actually doesn't contain anything at all afaik, some random chests or barrel near it has loot instead. I was p. disappointed.

Two Elexits, old world coin and maiby bag of elexit.

I liked finding isle of thanatos viking island where you get quest with long running consequences (thiaf guild) and lighthouse with cannibals. Maybe also Infinite Skies bunker but I believe it opens only during quest. Other places are very generic.

FFS use spoilers, I only got to Great Lift 15 minutes ago.

 

[Blaine]

Protip for getting rich quick in ELEX:

 

[Fenix]

Btw, why are you saying that dialogue checks don't change anything? I'm at Great Lift location, quest about

Spoiler

missing gear from lift

and if you pass all 3 checks, you'll get different view on that quest.

and yet its still better than underrail

Well, they are different, and RPG genre need all kinds of RPGs.
But yeah, I enjoying Elex much, while in Underrail I suffer with my Al Fabet-like behavior, and can't stop that.

There was some quest where I had to find a guy's journal in the Berserker hotel area and I went around for 20 minutes before just using the quest compass.

Lol, you was told he loved to sit on the balcony, how you can spent 20 on this.

Yeah dude, that's the (semi-)new thing: Using magic vision to follow trails. It started with the Batman: Arkham series, I think.

I remember cancelled Blizzard's game about ghost-something, that Terran's unit with stealth, maybe about Kerrigan, that PC had also psi-powers, and I definitely remember screenshot with footprints, that were shown after using some psionic skill.